[German Version]

From its first instance (Hippolytus, c. 215) until today, the eucharistic thanksgiving over the bread and the wine has a unified structure: a tri-partite dialogue, a salvation-historical preface (since the 4th cent., the sanctus), a christological post-sanctus with an account of the institution, anamnesis, epiclesis, a prayer for consummation, and doxology. Origins in the Jewish prayer after the meal (birkat ha-mason: dialogue – praise of the Creator – salvation history – after 70 ce: prayer for the restoration of the ¶ temple) are clearly evident. For the Ear…